Whiffletree.



PATENTED SE-PT. 4, 1906.

J. NLRICHARDS. WHIFFLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. 190s.

inv'ir J e ra rns PATENT orrion.

WHIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed August 30, 1905. Serial No. 276,419.

To all 1071 0717. it mar/71 concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES N. RICHARDS, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Chatham, in the county of Kent and Province ofOntario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inl/Vhiffletrees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in whiffletrees, and is alsoapplicable to neckyokes and similar articles, and especially to thatkind of such articles in which a metallic ubular body or bar is providedwith a truss- The chief object of this invention is to insure that thestrain on the whiffletree shall be borne by the said parts to the bestadvantage, the extreme strain on the truss-bar not being applied untilthe more rigid body has been subjected to its greater proper share ofstress.

I also aim to produce a simple, cheap, strong, durable,moderately-resilient article ofthe kind stated, easily taken apart forrepairs, but securely held against accidental displacement of parts.

To these ends my said invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of awhiffletreee embodying my invention, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent,respectively, detail views of the truss-bar before it is applied, one ofthe end caps, and the center bracket, the two parts of the latter beingslightly separated. Fig. 5 represents a detail longitudinal section ofthe end of the whiflietree, and Fig. 6 represents a modified form ofpart of the center bracket.

A designates a whiffletree body or bar consisting of a piece of metallicpipe and having end caps C driven on its ends, which are provided withtrace-hooks D and also used to hold in place the bent ends I) of theflat resilient truss-bar B. These ends, as shown in Fig. 4, are at firstinclined outward beyond a position at right angles to the body of saidtruss-bar. When applied to the body or bar A, they extend across theends of the latter and are hammered thereon, the end caps 0 being thentightly driven on the ends of both parts and fastened to said body A,putting and holding said truss-bar under tension, since its bent endsare held in and its bent middle part is held out. A center bracket E isthen applied to the middle of said body A and the outwardly-bent middlepart of said truss-bar, such application being facilitated by theconstruction of said bracket in two or three parts or sections. The rearsection E of said bracket is provided with forwardlyextending bifurcatedends 6, which straddle the truss-bar, and the middle of said section Ebeing bent out to afford a good means of attachment of the whiffletreeto the doubletree or other part or attachment of the ve hicle. The saidforward-extending bifur cated ends, as indicated in Fig. 4, alsostraddle and are riveted to the rearwardly-extend ing lugs e of strapsor eyes 6, encircling the tubular whiflletree-bar A. These eyes orstraps constitute the forward part of the center bracket, either aloneor with the addition of a connecting-plate E as in Fig. 6. The latter isbetter suited to a doubletree and may have more than two straps or eyesa, if preferred. The truss-bar, as thus applied and as shown in Fig. 1has its outer parts I) parallel with and against the body A, to whichthey are secured by rivets Its middle part b is also parallel to saidbody, resting on the two arms of the U-shaped lower section E of thecenter bracket. The parts b intervening between said outer parts b andsaid middle part b are inclined downward, giving the bar B as a wholethe familiar truss-form. WVhen thus secured, the truss-bar gives therigid whiflletree-body A the benefit of a resilient brace, but cannot beput under extreme tension till such body has borne its greater share ofthe strain. The center'bracket and end caps hold the bars A and Bsecurely together and keep the latter in position, bracing it especiallyat the ends and in the middle; but by cutting away the rivets it is easyto separate the several parts of the whiffletree whenever repairs areneeded. This whiflletree is easily made and put together at little cost,and there is no difficulty in replacing a damaged part.

As shown in Fig. 4, the said invention is applicable to neck-yokes,there being no substantial change, though the lower section E of thecenter bracket may be enlarged, or a ring and links or any otherconvenient means of rearward attachment may be substituted.

Of course my construction is as applicable to a doubletree ordraft-equalizer as to an ordinary swingletree. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metallic whifiietree-body in combination with a metallic truss-barunder tension, having its ends bent across the ends of said body, andcaps fitting on the ends of said body over and inclosing the ends ofsaid trussbar and serving to fasten the said body and truss-bar togethersubstantially as set forth.

2. A metallic bar for use in vehicles, whiffletrees and neck-yokes incombination with a truss-rod for bracing the same having integral partswhich overlap the ends of said bars and closed caps which inclose theseends and overlapping parts and fasten the said bar and truss-rodstogether substantially as set forth.

3. A metallic body for a whifiletree or similar article, in combinationwith a continuous truss-bar bent out at the middle and having its endsbent over the ends of said body, means for holding the said ends inplace and a center bracket in two or more parts, one part fitting on thesaid body and the other part or'parts against the under side of, thesaid brace-bar substantially as set forth.

I 4. A metallic body or bar for a whifiietree or similar article, incombination with a continuous truss-bar having ends that fit on the terends and fasten the truss-bar ends in place and a center bracket whichfits on the said body and holds the middle part of the said truss-bar,bracing the same substantially as set forth.

5. A section of pipe constituting a tubular body for a whiffietree orsimilar article in combination with trace-hook-carrying caps fitting onthe ends thereof, a continuous trussbar bent outward from said body inthe middle but having its ends held by said caps and a center bracketconsisting of two U-shaped sections, each having bifurcated ends, saidsections being adapted to be fastened together, and holding between thebifurcations of their ends respectively the said body and the saidtruss-bar substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 JAMES N. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

ETHEL WIOKHAM, T. J. RUTLEY.

ends of said body, caps which fit on the lat-

